Picnic fork



Augl, 1950 E. R. scHMELlNG 2,517,443

PICNIC FORK Filed May 24, 1947 //c. f2 @I Patented Aug. 1, 1950 s UNITEDSTAT PIcNIo FORK Ernest Re Schmeling, Union, Mich. application May 24,1947, serial No. 150292 This invention relates to improvements in forksof the type commonly known as picnic forks and used by picnickers forroasting various articles of food impaled on the prongs of the fork`over an open re.

Such forks generally comprise an elongated shank usually made ofrelatively stiff wire and having a handle at one end and prongs at itsother end upon which the articles of food to be `'roasted may beimpaled.

In use such forks are usually held by their handle portions incantilever fashion with the ,pronged end of the fork at an elevationabove Jthe ground and over a nre to subject the food ,thereon to cookingtemperatures. p l `It is well known that quite a little care must beexercised in roasting food over an open fire in `this manner. If thepicnicker holds the fork Acarelessly and allows the food impaled `on itsprongs to approach too closely the source of heat, `the food is oftenscorched or burned on its exterior While insuiciently cooked inside.

There is obviously a single most desirable elevation at which the foodshould be held above the fire so as to subject the same to the properdegree of heat for thorough cooking without scorching. LMoreover, thebest results are obtained when the fork is slowly turned on its axis touniformly have its handle portion rest onthe ground and its pronged endheld at any desired elevation above a source of heat to subject foodthereon to the most advantageous cooking temperature,

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of asupporting stake for picnic forks connected thereto in a `mannerproviding a fulcrum for the shank of the fork when the stake is driveninto the ground enabling the user t0 hold and control `the fork with aminimum of effort. i

With the above and other lobjects in view, which will appear as thedescriptionproceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,

combination and arrangement of parts substanpresent all sides of thefood to the source of heat L exceedingly tiresome undertaking and onewhich,4 ,is very apt to lead all but the most patient into`A carelessacts which impair the flavor of the food. Although the picnic forks usedin the past have been comparatively light, the cantilever fashion inwhich they had to be held soon resulted in severe strain on thepicnicker and frequently` induced him to curtail the cooking process andconsume the partly cooked food. From this it will be seen that theduration of the cooking operation was more likely `to be determined bylthedegree of fatigue of the picnicker brought rabout by the necessity ofholding the fork, than by the state of the article being cooked.

Bearing in mind these objections to past picnic vforks, and particularlythe manner of their use,

itl is an `object of this invention to provide an improved picnic forkby which the user will be relieved of substantially the entire weight ofthe fork and hence enabled to more diligently present the food to becooked to the source of heat.

More specifically it is an object of this invene-,tion to provide apicnic fork of the character described with a supporting stake soconnected with the shank of the fork that when the stake is driven intothe ground the fork will be selfsupporting to the extent that the shankmay 80 Odicate like parts, the numeral `5"` gene rally des- 6 havingprongs 'l at one end embedded in the handle grip 8 as 'will be made ofstili Wire.

tially as hereinafter described andmore particularly defined by theappended claims, it being understood that such changes in the preciseembodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come Withinthe scope of the claims.

The accompanying f' drawing `illustrates two complete examples of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmodes so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereoff'and in which:

Figure l is a view partly' in elevation and partly in sectionillustrating one manner in which the improved picnic fork of Athisinvention may beusedj` f" Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational Viewof the fork of this invention showing the stake held in an 'inoperativeposition alongside the shank of the fork, portions of the handle beingbroken away and shown'lin section to illustrate the means for retainingthe stake in said inoperative position; and f 4 Figure Bis aviewsimilartoFigure 2 showing a slightly modiiied embodiment of theinvention. `Referring now moreparticularly tothe accompanying drawingnwhich like numerals inignates thefork` of thisinvention. "As is` cus'-tomarygthe fork comprises an elongated shank thereofandhaving a handlegrip 8 at its oppositefend. The shank 5 is preferablymade of relativelystiff wire and has its handle portion permanently apparent from aconsideration of Figure 2.`

According to this invention theVl fork is provided with a supportingstakeli `likewise preferably The stake 'is connected to the shank `tofthe fork by means of an` eye 'ill formed on one end of the stakeI andloosely encircling the shank 6` so asjtogprovidea substantiallyuniversal"slidingy connection ybetween the stake and shank.` Thisconnection enables' the eye to act as a iulcrum on which the shank maybe supported at any desired elevation above the ground and at any pointalong its length when the free end of the stake is driven into theground as illustrated in Figure 1.

One manner in which the fork may be used and in which the fork isself-supporting is illustrated inligllie 1 where it is seen that thehandle grip 8 of the fork is engaged with the ground and the shank ofthe fork held at an upward inclination toward its pronged end byengagement thereof in the eye I of the stake at a point on the shanksomewhat closer to the pronged end of the fork than the handle endthereof. This disposes the pronged end at an elevation above the sourceof heat, usually an open iire, and it will be apparent that theelevation of the prongedA end of the fork may be adjusted at will eitherby lengthwise sliding of ftheshank through the eye or by varying thedepth vto which ythe stake is driven into the ground.

More rvaccurate positioning of the pronged end of .the forkl over theiire or other source of heat is, -of course,A possible by manuallyholding the handle grip .8 off the ground and utilizing the connectionafforded by the eye It as a fulcrum so that the picnicker issubstantially relieved 'ci the weight of the fork but is enabled toaccurately control the height of the pronged end thereof either byelevating or depressing the tion of the shank on its `axis to presentdiierent 4 surfaces of the food impaled on the prongs of the fork to thesource of heat. l-When not in use, the stake 9 may be swung about itsconnection with the shank to a position directly alongside andsubstantially parallel to vthe shank, and retained in such aninoperative position by sliding the stake rearwardly along the shanktoward the handle grip B sov as to engagethe iree end of the stake in asocket 'Il formed in the handle alongside the handle portion of theshank. This socket is preferably Idesigned to closely lfit the free endof the stake so as to frictionally engage the same and thereby precludeaccidental displacement of the stake from the socket. A

The retaining .means .for holding the stake in -its inoperativecondition shown in Figure 2 is highly advantageous in that itfacilitates trans- .portation lof the fork of this invention from placeto place.

-If desired, additional assurance against displacement of the free endof the stake from the retaining socket `I I may be had by confining acompression spring l2 between the eye on the stake and the prongs on theouter end of the shank. In this respect it will be appreciated lthat thelength of the stake 9 is such that when its free end is embedded in thesocket Il of the handle, there will be just suiicent space between theeye I0 on the stake and the prongs 1 as to permit disengagement of theend of the stake from the socket, allowing, of course, for thecompressed length of the spring I2.

4From the foregoing description taken in conv nection with theaccompanying drawing, it will be readily apparent that this inventionprovides a picnic fork having many advantages over past forks in thatthe provision of the supporting stake therefor enables the fork to beself-supporting in use or to at least relieve the picnicker ofsubstantially the entire weight of the fork.

I claim:

1. A picnic fork of the type having a shank provided with a handleportion at one end and prongs at the other, characterized by theprovision of a supporting stake joined at one end to the shank by aconnection aording unrestricted rotation of the shank on its axisrelative to the stake and enabling swinging motion of the stake to andfrom an inoperative position alongside and substantially parallel to theshank of the fork, vand further characterized by the provision of meansfor releasably holding the stake in said inoperative position includinga socket in the handle to receive the free end of the stake, and acompression spring encircling the shank of the fork and confined betweenthe pronged end thereof and the end of the stake connecting with theshank for yieldingly maintaining said free end of the stake engaged inthe socket of the handle. l

2. As an article of manufacture, a picnic fork comprising: a shankhaving prongs at one end and a handle at the other; a supporting stakehaving an eye at one end loosely encircling the shank of the fork toprovide a pivotal and sliding connection between the stake and shank bywhich the stake is slidable axially along said shank between limitsdeiined by the handle and prongs at the opposite ends of the shank; anda socket in the handle to receive the opposite free end of the stake andreleasably maintain the same in an inoperative position lying lengthwisealongside the shank.

3. A picnic fork of the type having a. shank provided with a handleportion at one end and to the stake, and which stake is adapted to haveits opposite end driven into the ground to enable the fork to besupported by the stake with the pronged end of the fork at an elevationabove the ground, said connection providing for swinging motion of thestake to and from an inoperative position alongside and substantiallyparallel to the shank of the fork; and means for releasably holding thestake in said inoperative position comprising a socket in the handle 'toreceive said opposite end of the stake and 'by frictional engagementtherewith retain the stake in said inoperative position againstaccidental displacement from the socket. 'A

ERNEST R. SCHMELING.

REFERENQES CTED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 462,918 Zabel Nov. 10, 1891568,962 Skeels Oct. 6, 1896 1,384,250 Froom July 12, 1921 2,136,658Westberg et al. Nov. 15, 1938 2,191,226 Clem Feb. 20, 194.0 2,486,345Triulzi Oct. 25, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,462 GreatBritain Oct. 30, 1900 410,274 Germany June 7, 1923

